


Ghostly Attraction

by LadyKeren



Category: Michael Jackson (Musician)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Horror, Other, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Supernatural Elements, Thriller
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-12 02:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4461407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKeren/pseuds/LadyKeren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Maestro was at the end of his rope and despairs that he would wallow in his loneliness forever, things look up for him when he crosses paths with the legal secretary Irina Kuznetsova, who possesses a dark secret none of her acquaintances know. Will Irina be able to overcome her mild fear of Maestro and find the courage to befriend him? Will Maestro be willing to open his heart to her? Find out in this exciting romantic thriller!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Notes: I am not making any money off of Michael in any way so it is pointless to try and sue me. I am simply doing this for fun and because I love him. However the main original characters Irina as well as a few other random OCs belong to me so if you steal them you will be in trouble. This fic is based on Michael’s character Maestro from the film Ghosts, rated T for some fantasy violence and mild language here and there. I am not sure where this is going yet so bear with me. Most of my MJ fics are family oriented so forgive me if some areas of this fic seem rusty. Rude, hateful comments are not welcome.

________________________________________  
Irina stirred slightly in her warm comfy bed whilst having another blissful dream about him again--the mysterious Maestro of Normalville, the town which happened to be right outside her dwelling place. This dream was considerably different from the ones she had in the past. It seemed to be telling her something about Maestro, like a vision almost.  


*Dream begins*

Maestro stood in the midst of his massive ballroom, reaching out a hand to Irina. She walked closer to him, reached forward and hesitantly placed her hand in his. He gently but firmly grasped it and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to him. 

‘Mmmmm...’ The red-head sighed softly as Maestro’s touch melted her and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She had to admit, she enjoyed being in his arms. It made her feel safe and comforted. She buried her face in his hair, enjoying his scent. ‘I don’t want this moment to ever end.’

An apparition surrounded the two and Irina could hear a voice whispering in her ear, “Do not be afraid of Maestro, my dear. He shall not harm thee. You are destined to soothe his loneliness and despair.” The voice faded away before Irina could ask what it meant. 

*Dream ends* 

Irina stirred once again, and slowly began to awake from her deep slumber. She groggily sat up in bed, rubbing the remainder of sleep from her eyes. She just sat there, trembling from the intensity of the dream. ‘Oh my, what a dream. What could it possibly mean?’ She would usually shrug most of her dreams off but the fact that they were about Maestro led her to believe it was more than just a mere coincidence. Not to mention they always left her with overwhelming feelings, especially now. ‘I wonder if all those recurring dreams are trying to tell me I am destined to be with Maestro.’ A possibility like that was rather hard to process, but not because she was concerned about whether she would be a good match for him or not. Technically she would, since she was actually half witch. There was just one problem. For the longest time, she had been slightly afraid of him because it was rumored his magic powers were immense enough to put her sorcery to shame, although a part of her always wanted to get to know him and be his friend. But now she was ready to cross paths with him. ‘If there is any truth to what I was told in the dream, my encounter will hopefully be a positive one I will find memorable.’ And she was sure she would be able to relate to him a great deal. Her train of thought was interrupted by her mobile phone vibrating in her skirt pocket. She pulled it out, wondering who could be texting her. She scrolled down to where it read missed messages and opened the new one, hoping it was her friend and co-worker, Carol. 

Irina stared at the text message in horror, for it was not from Carol or even someone she was on remotely friendly terms with. It was from her prick of an ex-boyfriend Eric, the one person that made her feel contempt for mere mortals at times. He had been stalking her ever since she cut all ties with him several months ago and kept sending her all sorts of cryptic texts. This one she received sent a chill down her spine and not in a pleasant way, either. It read: ‘I’m closer than you think I am, you worthless she-devil of a witch. I hope you’re prepared to enter an early grave. ‘ Of all the threats he made, that one took the cake. It made everything she feared about Maestro seem tame in comparison. Her heartbeat sped up and she started shaking as if she were having a panic attack. She felt so annoyed with herself for showing her fear. ‘Look at me. I’m so pathetic, letting an insolent human affect me this much.’ She slowed down her breathing, trying to calm down and seek comfort in the fact that she had what it took to teach him a lesson. In all of her 33 years (and then some), she had never made it a habit to use her sorcery against humans since she always preferred to keep the information about her being part witch underwraps, but she was now at the point where she felt her enemies were leaving her no choice. She smirked to herself as her mind switched to her former classmates back in Belarus and how they used to mock her appearance and wardrobe, nicknaming her “Witchy Woman.” ‘Heh. If they only knew the truth…but then again, it is probably just as well they didn’t, because I would have been burnt at the stake by now.’ She shuddered at the thought of such a fate. 

The cell-phone vibrated once more. Irina gave a sigh of disgust, thinking it was Eric sending her another text. She clenched her teeth as she thought of a good way to insult him and let him know she meant it when she said he was out of her life forever. And she would do it in Belarusian, too, which was one of the ways she kept him in check in arguments during the course of their relationship. And it drove him crazy, too. Much to her relief, it wasn’t Eric, but her friend Carol this time. She was always happy to hear from her. 

Carol: “Hey chica! What’s shaking?”

Irina smiled to herself at how perky Carol usually was during conversations. ‘I swear, that woman can make people forget all about their problems.’ She had managed to push her ex to the back of her mind, but not enough to forget him. She typed the response, “I have just awakened from a catnap about fifteen minutes ago. How about yourself?” She hit send and then rested the phone on the bed, getting up to find something for work the next day whilst she waited for her friend to respond. She peeked through her closet, trying to find something professional enough for a seminar she was attending. She decided on a white blouse, a navy blue skirt and a blue blazer. Just as she was pulling it out and hanging it on the closet door, she heard her phone vibrate again. She went to see what Carol had said. 

Carol: “Oh, not a thing. I am about to prepare dinner. Is everything all right with you?”

Irina thought about saying yes since the last thing she wanted to do was burden Carol with her problems, but the fact of the matter was that she felt she could use some advice so she would not have to resort to such drastic measures and regretting it later. She wrote, “Not exactly. Something rather disturbing happened.” She had recovered somewhat, but not completely. She sat on her bed, stretching her long legs in front of her. She heard another buzzing sound as soon as she picked up her phone. 

Carol: “Oh no! What happened? “ 

Irina drew in a deep breath, grimacing at the memory. She exhaled it as she explained in the text how Eric had sent her a death threat and recounted the previous times she had been harassed. She sent the text, bracing herself for how shocked Carol would be since some of the details were news to her, and the colorful language that would ensue from her fury about the situation. ‘I should have listened to her when she initially warned me he was bad news, and then I wouldn’t be in this situation.’

There was a long pause, which made Irina wonder what had happened. There were a few possibilities that came to mind, like maybe Carol had to step away to calm down and digest what was said or she dropped the phone or threw it somewhere in anger, potentially breaking it. ‘I wouldn’t put it past her if either of those things happened. She sure can have a vicious temper...sometimes I think it’s worse than mine, which is scary, considering how ill-tempered I am.’ Her stomach growled. She wondered if she should get a quick bite to eat while she waited for her friend’s response. She started to head to the bathroom to wash her hands so she could make a snack when she heard the cellphone buzzing, indicating her friend had finally responded. She went back over to the bed, picking up the phone and reading the message. 

Carol: “Why, that chauvinistic little f---….”

Irina let out a “phew” sound as although Carol was obviously livid, the reaction was a bit calmer than she anticipated it would be. She was surprised her friend refrained from using the f bomb considering she usually never held back when calling Eric out of his name. ‘That means two things. Either she stepped away from the phone to take her anger out on something or she’s learning how to express herself better.’ Of course under the circumstances she wouldn’t blame Carol for using colorful language, but she gave her points for controlling her temper somewhat. She was about to type her agreement when she received another message.

Carol: “It’s time to press charges against that dickweed, Missy!”

Irina chuckled softly to herself at her friend’s vehemence and firmness, as well as the insult she chose for Eric, for it was one she herself called him when he tested her patience. And she knew Carol was right—something had to be done before he did something worse than stalking…she just hadn’t been sure how to go about it without doing something extremely drastic. But she took her time considering the solution provided. Her eyes suddenly snapped open. ‘Of course! Why didn’t I try that long ago?’ She clasped her hands together, hoping it would work, for there were many instances some of her co-workers have had experiences filing reports and the police officers dragged their feet throughout the process—something she had very little patience for. ‘I think that’s why I never bothered with that method.’ She typed and sent a message to Carol saying she would look into it.

Carol: “And be sure to change your number while you’re at it. I don’t want to hear any news about you being brutally attacked and left for dead.”

Irina felt like saying that wouldn’t happen, but then thought better of it, since Carol would ask her how she could be so certain and then she would have to reveal her secret, so she typed:”Not to worry, I’ll do that. In fact, tomorrow was when I planned to, because I have this feeling I haven’t heard the last of him.” She just hoped it wouldn’t be too little too late. ‘I had better do it on my lunch hour just to be safe.’ She had a feeling something bad would happen if she waited until after work. 

Carol: “Good. I will check back with you to see how it went. As much as I would like to chat with you more, unfortunately this dinner won’t cook without me preparing it, so I will have to leave you now. I will see you at work tomorrow. “

Irina wrote, “All right. Take care of yourself. Ciao.” She hit send and rested the phone on her bureau, then sat on her bed, placing her chin in her hands as she contemplated what to do for the rest of the evening. It was far too early to head to bed, even if she wanted to call it an early night. She thought about fixing something to eat, but she didn’t have much of an appetite at the moment. She was looking for a major distraction—something that would take her mind off the disturbing turn of events. Whilst she thoroughly appreciated Carol’s efforts, it still wasn’t quite enough to free her mind of her troubles. She sighed wearily, putting a hand in her bright red tresses, when all of a sudden, her stomach growled again, loudly this time. She gave an aggravated groan. ‘Okay, okay, I’ll feed you already. Geez!’ She got up and went into the bathroom, washing her hands. She then slipped her feet into her sandals and headed down to the kitchen, thinking about what she could eat. ‘I don’t have the energy to cook anything. I just want something to curb my hunger.’ She opened her refrigerator, eyed it for a bit, spotting the donuts she had made the previous day in a container. ‘Ah. Those should do,’ she thought, pulling out the container and resting it on the counter. ‘I was sort of craving them anyway.’ Pulling a rather small plate from the cupboard, she placed two donuts on the plate, completing the snack with a glass of almond milk. She carried it to the dining room, sitting down to enjoy it. 

After slowly making work of half a donut, and sipping some of the milk, Irina pushed the plate away, deciding she had enough. Making sure the glass of milk was a safe distance from her, she rested her elbow on the table, leaning against it slightly and running her hand through her hair. She wracked her brain, trying to decide what else to do as it was still fairly early. Her mind wandered, thinking about the disturbing text and then the dream about Maestro she had while catnapping. ‘Maestro...I wonder if he has had any dreams, and what he’s doing at the moment.’ She sat upright with a jolt when Maestro popped in her mind. ‘I know! Now is the perfect time to visit him...surely I will be distracted a great deal. Silly me! Why didn’t I think of that before?’ 

Smiling slightly, the red head carried her unfinished snack to the kitchen, and opted to at least finish the glass of milk, which she did before wrapping up the unfinished donuts. She was about to put up the container of leftover donuts when an idea of giving some of them to Maestro as a gift suddenly came to her. She didn’t want him to doubt her sincerity. ‘Besides, I have made more than enough anyway, and I’m the only one here.’ She reached into the cupboard, pulled out a medium sized plastic container and filled it with several donuts, sealing it with the lid and putting it in a bag. She made sure all curtains and windows were closed, and then exited her house. ‘Hmmm...I think I will go in my human guise until I am positive he can be trusted. ‘ Her heart started to pound as she teleported outside the gates of Normalville. Small parts of her were slightly nervous and terrified, but she was mostly filled with excitement. She frowned slightly when she tugged at the gates and noticed they were locked. ‘He must be trying to keep trespassers away. How clever of him. Well, this is no problem. I have other ways to get in.’ She teleported inside the gate and spotted a large mansion, walking up to it. She cackled softly to herself, considering just teleporting inside the house and surprising Maestro. However, she knew better than to trespass both because of the wrath she would feel from him and plus she was raised to have better manners than that. She knocked on the door and rang the doorbell just in case. She stood on the doorstep and waited patiently, her heart pounding with excitement and anxiety. 

________________________________________

Maestro was in his large music room, playing a new musical piece he had just written on the piano when he faintly heard knocking and the sound of the doorbell ringing. ‘Huh?’ He furrowed his eyebrow and stopped playing. ‘It appears I have a visitor. How nice. I should give that person a warm welcome.’ He wondered who it could be, as most of his past visitors often did not have any manners, but just entered his mansion without his permission, which he despised. It was one of the reasons he wasn’t very fond of visitors. He got up from behind the large piano and went upstairs to his room, retrieving his favorite costume---a cloak and a skeleton mask, just in case his guest was one of the townspeople coming to be rude to him again. He had his fill of that, hence why he had taken it upon himself to scare them to death whenever they came. There were also times he scared people just to have fun and test them. He concealed his face with the mask, draped the cloak over himself, and headed towards the double doors, snapping his fingers to make them open on their own. He made himself invisible with the intention of surprising his guest, chuckling quietly. 

Meanwhile, Irina wondered if she had made a mistake in coming or if Maestro was even at home. She was about to leave when she heard the doors open. ‘Hmm…so someone is at home, after all.’ Her heart racing, she slowly entered the house and started looking around. The mansion had a spooky atmosphere, but also an elegant feel with the choice of furniture and figurines. ‘Wow. Maestro certainly has good taste. His home is sophisticated, yet simple. Who would have thought?’ She could have spent all evening admiring the inside of the house, but she remembered why she was there. ‘Snap out of it, Irina,’ she mentally scolded herself. Her voice got a bit loud as she called out, “Maestro? Sir Maestro? Are you here?” 

Maestro smirked behind his skeleton mask as he heard Irina calling out for him. Still remaining hidden, he removed his mask and looked her up and down, licking his lips in approval at what he saw...a woman dressed in black with chalk-colored skin, blue eyes, an angelic face and bright flaming red hair. ‘She is such a beauty. I almost feel badly for even thinking of scaring her. However, I am not letting her off so easy. ‘ He placed the mask back on and continued to observe her.

Irina could sense she was being watched, and that she was not alone. She gave a heavy sigh of exasperation, weary of the hide-and-seek game she appeared to be dealing with. “Maestro, I know you’re in here somewhere! Come on out and face me. I don’t have all evening to be playing games!” She folded her arms and tapped her foot. She stopped, listening to herself. She was proud of herself for being this bold, considering not too long ago she wouldn’t have put herself in this situation. 

Maestro chuckled softly at Irina’s impatience. ‘Such a feisty one. I like her already.’ Instead of doing what the red head commanded, he blew a kiss and a billow of smoke ensued, enveloping the entire living room and heading for Irina. Smirking again, he went to his ballroom, making himself invisible. ‘Come on, my pretty. If you are truly keen on conversing with me, take my hint and find me here.’ He let out another chuckle, enjoying testing Irina with the game of cat and mouse. 

Irina’s jaw dropped open, then closed at what she just witnessed. She was too shocked to be miffed about Maestro toying with her this way. She coughed loudly as the billow of smoke surrounded her. She was also beginning to have trouble breathing and her eyes were blurry. ‘What on earth is he trying to do to me? Kill me for visiting him? But why did he open up for me if that were true?’ She hung her head, unsure of what to think. ‘I should have known. That dream was wrong.’ Whilst she was concentrating her energies to teleport herself out of the mansion, her eyes went blank and the smoke held her in place, almost as if she were in a trance. Before she knew it, her body was betraying her. She proceeded to leave the living room area, and as much as she tried to resist, it was useless. ‘Ugh...wait until he shows his face,’ she thought, gritting her teeth. ‘He’s going to regret the day he was ever born.’ In her trance, she was walking past different rooms, and didn’t stop until she was outside a large ballroom, where the door opened on its own. The woman gulped, finally able to breathe normally again. ‘I take it I’m supposed to enter? This could be a trap but I don’t care.’ She held her breath, let it out, and entered the ballroom. 

________________________________________

Irina looked around and noticed how the ballroom looked exactly like the one in her dream. But Maestro was still nowhere in sight, although she could sense his presence. Her patience with this game had worn thin. It annoyed her so greatly that she was led to the ballroom so forcefully and Maestro still insisted on hiding. ‘Well, this is stupid. Why am I even bothering to stay? I should just leave. I’ve had enough of his theatrics.’ She looked at her watch and saw that she still had one hour and some. ‘I’ll give him five more minutes and that’s it. And I think I know how to force him out of his hiding place, too. Not what I planned so soon, but he has left me no choice.’ She closed her eyes and concentrated, preparing to morph into her witch form. As she was doing that, she heard a soft chuckle. ‘What the..?’ Her eyes popped open and she jumped. A figure dressed in a cloak and skeleton mask materialized in front of her, roughly three feet away. She tensed up slightly and felt shivers going down her spine. 

The figure removed his mask, showing his face. Irina heaved a sigh of relief when she saw it was only Maestro. She also felt like saying, “It’s about time you showed up.” She was still sore with the way he tried her patience. 

Maestro smirked, upon realizing his actions placed some fear in the woman before him. “Did I scare you?” he asked with a smile on his face. 

Irina wanted to answer, “Like hell you did. Your scare tactics are nothing,” because she didn’t want to give Maestro the satisfaction of seeing her fear, but the fact that he appeared when she least expected did give her a bit of a fright. “Hmm, perhaps a little,” she responded. 

Maestro frowned, not satisfied with that answer. “Is that so? Then how about this?” He stuck his fingers in his mouth, stretching the corners of it and started wagging his tongue. 

‘Is he serious…?’ Irina looked at the scary maestro, wide-eyed. ‘I swear, he needs to think of better scare tactics.’ She conjured a fan in her hands and giggled behind it. 

Maestro stopped with the funny face and raised an eyebrow. ‘What’s this? She’s laughing? She is not like the others.’ And how she was able to make items appear in her hand at will made him wonder as well. “It seems I have underestimated you. Or are you not afraid of me?” 

“You have,” confirmed Irina, putting the fan away. “And yes, I was slightly afraid of you before coming here, but not so much anymore, especially not with the scare tactic you just used. And anyway, that’s no way to treat someone who simply wishes to say hello and also brought you something. It was also uncalled for when you kept me waiting and then hypnotized me to make me come in here. ” She frowned heavily at him. 

Maestro furrowed his brow, looking thoughtful when he saw the semi-witch frowning at him. ‘Darn it, Maestro. Now you’ve done it! Not only are you on the verge of scaring her away, but she will think poorly of you, too,’ his inner voice scolded him. Now he had another reason to feel bad about trying to scare her. Unlike a vast majority of his visitors, she actually showed some manners by knocking first, yet he had to be so rash. ‘What could possibly have made her afraid of me before she met me? Has the mayor fed lies to her about me?’ He was none too good at apologies, but he knew he owed her one for his behavior. “I was merely testing you. I meant no harm. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

Irina looked into Maestro’s eyes and saw he was being sincere. She also saw a hint of loneliness and sadness too, but at the same time she was captivated by them. ‘Those gorgeous, brown eyes...come to think of it, he is very handsome. His eyes...his long black hair…wait, pull yourself together, girl! This is no time to be fawning over him! I don’t even know him for cripes sake!’ She nodded. “I do.” 

Maestro gave Irina a warm smile. Although she was still pretty much a stranger, one thing he could say was that she was definitely more forgiving than most of the townfolks in Normalville. He wondered if she even lived in the same town, or if there was some open-minded person he had never met before, which was a huge possibility, given the fact that he rarely left his home. “May I ask, what is your name?” 

“My name is Irina. Irina Kuznetsova.” 

“Irina.” It was rather simple for Maestro to let her name roll off his tongue. “Very unique name, but quite fitting for a beautiful woman like you. My real name is Michael, but call me Maestro for now.” 

Irina happened to like the name Michael, but she figured he had his reasons for not wanting to be called that. “Well it is a pleasure to meet you, Maestro.” 

“Likewise. “ On impulse, Maestro took Irina’s free hand, brought it to his lips and gently pecked the back of it. ‘Mmmmm, such nice, soft skin.’ 

“Oh…” Irina’s face blushed bright red, and she felt butterflies in her stomach when his lips touched the back of her hand. Her eyes met his, and she could tell he was worried he did something he shouldn’t have and he was expecting a negative reaction. She gave him a reassuring smile. “Dobra Maestro, vy, viadoma, zjaŭliajucca čaroŭny chlopiec.” 

Maestro smiled, his eyes full of curiosity. “Which language is that?”

“It’s Belarusian,” Irina explained. 

“Ah. Interesting.” Maestro nodded as if he had known all along Irina was speaking Belarusian to him. “What does it mean?” 

“It means “Well Maestro, you certainly are a charming fellow.” 

Now it was Maestro’s turn to blush. “Thank you. And you’re the most beautiful woman I have ever met.” 

Irina felt her cheeks getting hot as she blushed furiously. She placed her hands on her cheeks to cool them down. ‘Is he kidding? I look like a freak!’ She didn’t want to say that, though, because she could tell he meant what he said. “I don’t know about that, but thank you. You are very attractive yourself.” 

Maestro chuckled softly. “You are far more attractive than I am.” He could hardly believe how at ease he felt around Irina when it was rather difficult for him to open up to people, given how long he had been so painfully lonely. It was a very nice feeling for him to be himself since he was generally a keep it real kind of person to begin with. But there was still something that confused him. “I’m sorry to trouble you, but there is a question I would like to ask you, if you don’t mind.”

‘Huh?’ “No, I don’t mind at all. What is it?” Irina glanced up at Maestro to show she was listening. 

“Why were you so afraid of me? Did you think I was some kind of monster?”

Irina looked a bit sheepish. She had the feeling he would question her fear ever since she admitted it. She thought he sounded somewhat hurt, although he didn’t show it. She bit her lip, unsure of how she should tell him without risking offending him. She let out a sigh. “No, I don’t think that. It’s your powers and how devastating they are. I was afraid of falling victim if I angered you by visiting you, which is why I was never able to build up the nerve before.” 

Maestro just looked at the red head, stunned and like he thought she was nuts. “Whatever gave you that idea? I have very little patience for ill-mannered guests and people who insist on entering my home without permission, but I do not commit senseless acts of violence, especially against women.”

There was nothing Irina could say to counter that because she knew Maestro was right. She felt like a fool for acting on her misconceptions. She could only nod and say, “I see that now.” 

Maestro smiled slightly. “Good. There is no reason to fear me. I won’t hurt you.” 

Irina lowered her head in shame, unable to look at him. “Promise?”

Maestro shook his head laughing, then walked up to the red haired woman and cupped her chin, prompting her to look at him. Her skin tingled when he did this. “Yes. You have my word. “ He removed his hand from her chin, clenched it into a fist and pressed it against his heart. 

Irina smiled warmly. “All right. I trust you. As for the gift I brought you, here it is. “ She handed Maestro the plastic bag. 

Surprised, Maestro took the bag from the woman. “What is it?” 

“Just some donuts I had made yesterday. I had made more than enough so I thought I would bring you some.” That was only partially true but Irina was embarrassed to admit she was afraid he wouldn’t think her kindness was genuine and quite frankly, she didn’t think there was a need to tell him. 

“I see. Well that’s very thoughtful of you. Thank you.” Maestro rested the bag on a chair. Although he was being fairly stoic, he appreciated this act of kindness more than he let on. For one thing, no one had ever cared enough to do anything nice for him and another, it was one of his favorite not-so-healthy snacks she had brought for him. 

“You are more than welcome.” Irina peeked outside and saw how dark it was getting. “Well Maestro, as much as I would like to stay and converse with you some more, I had better take my leave. It was a pleasure meeting you in person. I hope our paths cross again.” 

“Likewise,” answered Maestro. “I do not typically open my home to very many visitors, but you are welcome here any evening.” 

“Thank you for the open invitation. I just may drop by again tomorrow evening.” 

“That’s fine. I look forward to seeing you.”

“So do I.” Without thinking, Irina threw her arms around Maestro in a warm embrace. Taken off guard, he stiffened a bit, but relaxed and wrapped his arms around her, returning her hug. 

‘I could stay like this forever, but that’s not possible at the moment.’ Irina reluctantly pulled away from the embrace. “Ta-ta for now.” She exited the ballroom.

Maestro smiled as he watched the half-sorceress leave. He was suddenly feeling very good inside. This lady managed to break down some of his walls with her warmth and kindness, and that impressed him. For the first time in centuries he began to feel hopeful. All he wished for was for someone to accept him for who he was, and now it seemed like that was coming to pass.


	2. Chapter 2

________________________________________

The glare of the bright morning sun shone in Irina’s face as she slept. She rolled over and groaned when she heard the sound of the alarm clock ringing. ‘Great...it’s morning already. I feel like I haven’t slept a wink.’ She reached over and tapped it to silence the buzzing sound. She blinked sleepily as she read the time on it. Six-oh-five a.m. She had just managed to doze off a few hours ago after lying awake for half the night with Maestro and her first encounter with him consuming her thoughts. ‘Goodness, why am I up at this hour anyway? What’s wrong with me? I usually sleep until seven. ‘ She had thoughts about resetting the alarm so she could get some much needed extra sleep. ‘After all, I have to be alert at work and at the seminar. Yes, that’s what I’ll do.’ She used what energy she had to prop her body up a bit, enough to be able to make the desired change on the clock. She yanked her hand away when she remembered something. ‘Wait! I can’t do that! I have some important business to take care of before work and that blasted seminar. I can’t believe I nearly forgot about that!’ She silently cursed, annoyed with herself for being more distracted than she meant to. 

Irina sat up, stretched her arms and legs, and lazily climbed out of bed. Still feeling very groggy, she grabbed her robe and slipped it on, then headed towards the kitchen. She poured some coffee and water into the coffee pot, and turned it on. ‘Hopefully a nice cup of coffee as well as a shower will wake me up…though I can’t say I will be able to keep my mind off of Maestro.’ She pulled down her favorite coffee cup from the cabinet and got some sugar cubes and cream whilst she waited for the caffeinated drink to brew. Just in case the coffee wouldn’t be enough to give her energy, she pulled out the donuts she hadn’t finished eating from the refrigerator. ‘Mmmmm…coffee and donuts...the perfect breakfast.’ She smiled to herself, licked her lips slightly and leaned against the counter, patiently waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. Keeping her eyes open had become a chore and she found herself dozing off. 

A few minutes later, the timer went off, signaling that the coffee was made. Irina’s eyes shot open and she ran her hands over her face. While this was not enough to make her wide awake, she was definitely more alert than she was before. She stood upright and poured the hot, caffeinated drink into her coffee cup, poured a little bit of cream, dumped the sugar cubes inside, then grabbed a spoon, stirring it thoroughly. She carried her “breakfast “ to the dining room table, sat down and began to slowly eat the unfinished donuts, whilst waiting for the coffee to cool. As she ate, her mind drifted off to Maestro once again. ‘I wonder what he’s doing right now, if he’s awake…that is, if he even sleeps. I can’t wait to see him again. Every time I think of him, I get butterflies in my stomach. I wonder if the same has happened to him after I left, or if he has even thought about me.’ She shook her head to rid her mind of such thoughts. ‘No, no, no! It’s too early to think of a possible relationship when we’re barely even friends! Besides, there are more important matters to deal with than some foolish delusion of romance!’ she mentally berated herself as she finished off the second donut. 

‘Hopefully the coffee would have cooled down enough by now. There’s only one way to find out.’ Hunger satisfied, Irina picked up her coffee cup and blew on it, trying to get rid of the slight steam that still rose from the liquid. She took a small sip and let it slide down her throat. It was hot but still drinkable. ‘What a relief. ‘ She continued to drink, feeling herself become more awake bit by bit. After finishing the cup of coffee, she took her dishes to the sink, washed them quickly and went into her bedroom to get ready for work. She took a quick glance at the time before grabbing her underclothing and heading into the bathroom. ‘Approximately seven o’clock…not too bad if I do say so myself. I have to hurry if I hope to accomplish anything, though.’ 

All of a sudden, Irina’s cell phone started to ring, and it rang and rang for several minutes. Each time the voicemail came on, the person would hang up and call again. This kept up until the caller got tired and hung up, opting to leave her a text message instead. 

The red head heard the incessant ringing of her phone over the running water in the shower and got this feeling of uneasiness in her stomach, almost as if she were going to throw up. One particular person came to mind that had the ability to make her feel physically ill. ‘Oh great…it’s Eric again. Just when I thought I had succeeded in erasing him from my memory.’ Her heart leapt in her stomach as she wondered what he could possibly want with her this time after sending all those cryptic messages. Seeing them typed was one thing, hearing them uttered from his mouth would be another. She shook her head, rolling her eyes. ‘I wonder what threat he has come up with this time that he hasn’t already written to me. One would think he had already said them all.’ She sighed, finished off her shower, wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of the tub, drying off. She towel-dried her hair as well, and hung up the towel.

After finishing up in the bathroom, Irina took off her robe and tossed it onto the bed. She retrieved her comb from her bureau and ran it through her still-damp hair. She tightly wound her hair around, placed it on top of her head and pinned it in place with a jaw hair clip. She quickly got dressed and slipped on her shoes, taking another quick glance at the clock. It read seven forty-five this time. Right on schedule. She gave a little smile, relieved that she had not gone back to sleep after all, then her expression became serious when she remembered she still had to check the missed calls on her phone. She was someone who always trusted her intuition, no matter how farfetched it seemed. She retrieved the phone from the smaller dresser and looked through the missed calls. All of them were unknown callers. She frowned. ‘How strange. Eric’s number always shows up. But it has to be him! I knew what I felt.’ She furrowed her brow as she thought of one possibility. ‘Perhaps he called from other numbers because he is anticipating that I’m on to his scheme. How clever of him.’ 

All of a sudden, the phone vibrated, indicating that there was a new text message. With baited breath, Irina clicked on it and saw the following message: “Watch your back, because we will cross paths sooner than you think. I hope you are prepared to face your punishment for thinking you would ever be rid of me.’ She nearly choked reading that and cold chills went down her spine, her legs trembling. ‘Calm down, girl. He’s a human and you’re part witch so he has nothing on you.’ In an attempt to pull herself together, she found her purse and dropped the phone into it. ‘No matter. All will hopefully be taken care of in due time. Of course, I will need a backup plan just in case the authorities do nothing to help.’ She smirked slightly, cackling softly at the idea that came to mind. ‘I will not kill him, that’s a bit rash, and not my style. I will just show him he trifled with the wrong person.’ Picking up her purse, she turned off the lamp and exited her room. She retrieved her keys from the living room table, using them to unlock the door and stepping outside. She made sure to lock the door behind her and then got inside her car, warming it up. She turned the radio on before pulling out of the driveway, into the street. The music calmed her mind while she drove to the police station. 

Soon, Irina spotted the station just up ahead. Once she was approaching it, she slowed down. She noticed the parking lot was mostly empty with only a few cars, which she took as a good omen because she was worried about the place being so busy that she ended up being late for work. She took a look at the clock. ‘Eight o’clock on the dot. Perfect. .I should have enough time to take care of this and change my number.’ She parked her car, made sure she had all of her IDs handy, got out and briskly entered the building. 

________________________________________

Maestro was in the music room, playing a brand new musical composition on his grand piano. It was one of the only things that relaxed his mind, which he was in desperate need of at the moment. Irina had completely filled his thoughts after she had left his mansion. No woman had ever captivated him the way she did, and if someone asked him what he found most alluring about her, he would have to answer everything --from her physical beauty to the way she spoke. However, there was a small part of him that had begun to have a few doubts about whether he was letting his guard down too much or not. He knew he had to break out of his shell sometime if he was truly weary of living such a lonely life, but having his trust betrayed numerous times took a toll on him. ‘Stop it! You’re being ridiculous!’ a voice in his head chided him. ‘Get to know her first before making any judgment. Time will tell whether she’s the one or not.’ He continued playing, trying to shake away his doubts.

A woman with long ombre colored hair entered the music room holding a tray of food. She smiled as she watched Maestro play his piano as if there was no tomorrow. ‘He appears to be in his own world, and I hate to interrupt him. But this breakfast will get cold if I don’t give it to him soon.’ 

Maestro had been so engrossed in his piano playing that he didn’t hear the footsteps, but he did feel a presence. At first he wondered if it was a trespasser who was cunning enough to find a way into the mansion before he could take measures, but he sensed nothing disturbing or dangerous about the aura. He paused in mid-key, placing his hands in his lap and spun around, swinging his legs sideways. There stood one of his most trusted henchwomen. He nodded and gave her a small smile. “Arisa.” 

“Greetings, my master. Are you feeling all right?”

“I’m fine.”

Arisa set her mouth in a line and frowned, as if she didn’t believe the maestro was being totally honest. “Are you sure? You were more pensive than usual and you seem to be under a lot of stress, almost as if something is troubling you. Did you have another encounter with the mayor? If you’d like, I can create a barrier that would prevent him and other unwelcome visitors from entering the property.” 

‘I would hardly refer to my run-ins with the mayor as visits.’ Maestro shook his head, chuckling at the notion, stopping when he realized Arisa was being serious and probably confused about what he found so humorous. “Please pardon my laughter. To answer your question, no, I haven’t had a visit from the mayor.” Though he had to admit, his servant’s solution was the perfect one for dealing with people who insisted on entering his house uninvited, as much as he got kicks out of scaring them away. He looked at her, his eyes full of appreciation. “I appreciate your concern, but there is really nothing to worry about. It’s just…I have a lot on my mind.” 

Arisa nodded, smoothing down her hair. “All right then. If it’s something you care to talk about, I am here to listen.” 

“Yes I know.” Maestro very rarely confided his innermost feelings as he never liked to be a burden, but he decided he just might take Arisa up on her offer if trusting his instincts didn’t work. After all, for a long time Arisa had been the closest person he had to a friend. ‘She will probably be able to help me decide what to do if I wish to plan something special for Irina.’ 

The young woman smiled. “Good.” She had been so busy worrying about her master and whether he had a problem or not that she nearly forgot why she came, only remembering once she realized she was still holding the breakfast tray. “I brought you some breakfast.” 

“Thank you. Take it to the kitchen. “

“As you wish. Don’t be long, now. You don’t want it to get too cold.”

“Of course not. I will be there momentarily.”

“Okay.” Arisa left the room. 

Maestro sat down behind the keyboard once again, with the intention of giving the new song one more run-through. He wasn’t particularly interested in food at the moment, yet he knew he had to do whatever he could to keep busy until it was time for Irina’s arrival later on. Positioning his hands on the keys, he proceeded to play the song once again, tilting his head back and closing his eyes as he got into the melody.

________________________________________

 

(that afternoon)

Irina was sitting in her office, packing up to leave and tidying up her desk a bit. After stacking up the papers in a neat pile and shutting off the computer, she placed her hand on her forehead, letting out a sigh of relief that her day at work was finally over. ‘Oh, what a day. I thought it would never end. And it didn’t help that the seminar was a total bore and not enough to keep me from being distracted. At least I can spend some more time with Maestro now.’ She was about to get up from her chair and gather her belongings when she heard a knock on the door and a voice asking, “Missy, are you in there?”

Irina spun her chair around slightly so that it was facing the door. “Carol? Yes I’m still here. Come on in. The door is open.” 

Carol was all full of smiles as she walked in and shut the door. “Well hello there. How was your day?”

Irina had the “don’t ask me that” look in her eyes upon hearing the question. “Long and tiresome. In fact, I was just about to leave. You caught me just in the nick of time.” 

Carol chuckled. “I hear you on how long the day was. It was that way for me, too, “she said, giving the red head a sympathetic look. “Well I’m glad I wasn’t too late. The fact that I arrived a bit late this morning combined with the seminar you were at all day prevented me from checking in with you sooner. I was dying to, because I wanted to see if you pressed charges against that good-for-nothing prick and changed your number.” 

Irina giggled, knowing Carol was referring to Eric. She was amazed that her friend was putting it so mildly. “Yes, I did both. However, I am concerned about how long it will be before he is prosecuted.” 

“I know what you mean. The justice system can be such a disgrace. But I am sure changing your number will help.” 

Irina smoothed down her skirt a bit. “I believe it will somewhat.” The uneasy feeling from earlier returned. ‘Something tells me it won’t be enough and Eric will definitely follow through on his threats.’

“Well whatever happens, know that I have your back.” Carol took a look at her watch, and realized it was past time to be leaving. “Oops, how inconsiderate of me! I imagine you must have important things to do right about now. ”

“Somewhat. I have somewhere I need to be in a bit. ” 

Carol scratched her head and furrowed her brow. “Oh? Where to? That is, if you don’t mind me asking.” 

Irina debated in her mind whether she should say or not. She didn’t want to lie to her friend, yet she didn’t want to reveal her new associate. ‘You don’t have to say the name.’ “A friend I promised to visit.” As the explanation rolled off her tongue, she didn’t feel guilty since she was technically being honest. ‘I hope she doesn’t ask who. I don’t know if she even knows who Maestro is, but she might not believe he really exists or may consider him a monster, for all I know.’

Much to her relief, Carol didn’t ask any more questions. She just nodded and said, “Oh ok. Well, don’t let me keep you. Have fun.”

“Thank you. I am sure I will.” Irina got up from her chair, pushed it in, and then grabbed her briefcase and purse. “Have a wonderful weekend. “ 

“I’ll try to, considering tomorrow I will have to spend some time in the office getting some unfinished work done.” Carol rolled her eyes at the thought, for this was not how she preferred to spend her weekend, but she didn’t want the boss to get on her case. 

“Ohhh, poor you. Well in any event, stay safe.”

“You too. I will talk to you on Monday, if not before then.” 

“All right. Ciao.” 

 

“Toodles.” With a wave, Carol left the office. 

Irina exited the office as well and locked up, then went outside to her car, opening the door and getting in. She waved to Carol as she drove away and headed for home. She was never so happy to leave work in her life.

(at home)

Irina’s excitement died and was replaced with dread when she got home, parked the car and climbed out. She had this feeling that she was being watched and something sinister was about to happen whilst walking up to her doorstep. She also thought she saw a head peeping out from behind her house, but she figured it was just her paranoia getting the best of her and shrugged it off, resting her briefcase on the ground. A voice inside her head screamed at her to hurry as she dug in her purse for her keys. Just as she found the keys and was about to pull them out so she could open the door, she heard footsteps coming up behind her. She dared herself to look up and see who it was. The fear inside her increased when she saw she was standing face to face with her ex-boyfriend. Her stomach instantly became nauseous. ‘Oh no. He’s here. I suspected I would run into him, but I didn’t think it would be this soon. Lord help me.’ It was all she could do not to shake her head in dismay that she was a bit too late in handling the situation.

For awhile, all Irina could do was stare at her ex, stunned. When her voice returned to her, she managed to ask, “What are you doing here?” Her tone was quiet, but filled with displeasure to see the one man that oftentimes made her feel ashamed to be mortal at all. 

Eric returned the stare and feigned a wounded expression. “Is that any way to greet the love of your life? Didn’t you get my text messages?”  
The redhead scoffed. “All right, first of all, you are nothing of the sort to me…you are nothing but dirt beneath my shoes. And yes, I did receive your text messages, but you are not worthy to be given the time of day. What is it you want from me?”

Eric merely smirked at the insults. “Still as feisty as ever, I see. As much as it turns me on, it won’t save you. We both know you don’t have what it takes to back up your words. After all, what would a woman know about that?” 

Irina stuck out her jaw defiantly, not feeling so fearful all of a sudden. “Trust me, there are loads of things about me you don’t know. Now I suggest you get off my property before you regret it.” 

“You’re in no position to make threats. I am in control, not you. I suggest you watch your tongue or else I’ll be forced to cut it out.” 

Irina held back a shudder. ‘That certainly does sound dreadful. No way in hell am I going to give him the satisfaction.’ “Oh yeah? I’d like to see you try.” 

Eric looked as if smoke was going to rise from his ears. He couldn’t believe the woman had the gall to stand up to him. Sure, there were times she tried, but never on this level. He brought up a hand to slap her across the face, but she ducked just in time. “I have no time for this nonsense. “ She pulled out her keys and went to open the door, but before she could do anything, he grabbed her by the collar of her blazer, forcefully turned her around and shoved her against the door, pinning her against it. She dropped her keys in the process. He grabbed her long, slender neck with both of his hands and proceeded to choke her. “You’re dumber than you look if you think I will let you end the relationship alive!” He tightened his grip around her neck and gazed deep into her green-blue orbs, smirking when he saw fear in them. 

Irina coughed loudly and she could feel herself becoming lightheaded. What was scaring her more was that she was beginning to black out. In her relationship with Eric, he had insulted her constantly, but never put his hands on her. This was the first time he had ever gotten physical with her. She was too shocked to let her fear take over. ‘Come on, girl, you’ve got this! It doesn’t matter that you’re only five feet six inches tall and he’s six feet one, or that you’re a twig compared to him.’ All she was presently thinking of was how to outwit Eric and survive. Then an idea came to her. ‘Aha! He’s in for a surprise now. He won’t know what hit him.’ She let the rage consume her and her eyes flashed bright crimson. She raised one of her arms in a mystic gesture and knocked him off of her with the power of telekinesis, forcing him to release his hold on her neck and making him fall on his backside. She coughed some more and shot a scathing glare at him. 

Eric looked at his former girlfriend with a shocked look on his face. ‘I never dreamed she was capable of such power. I can’t believe how much I underestimated her!’ “What the devil?! Just what the hell are you?”

Irina sneered. “Your worst nightmare,” she responded in a chilling tone. She let out a sinister cackle. 

Eric quivered as he noticed the woman’s fierce facial expression. “Wait! P-Please spare me.” 

“I don’t think so. You should have thought of that before you decided to disrespect me the way you did.” Irina emitted some dark energy ribbons from her hands at the shaken man, making sure the energy bursts weren’t too powerful. He screamed in anguish as they radiated around him and trapped him in place. He watched as she approached him with an evil grin on her face. She waved her hands around his head and made a ripping gesture as if she were pulling out certain images. “From this moment forward, you will be unaware of my existence. “ Giving a smug grin when her former boyfriend passed out from shock, her eyes returned to its normal color as she went back to her doorstep, retrieved her keys and unlocked the door. She picked up her briefcase and walked inside, closing the door behind her and locking it. She let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose. ‘Oh boy…the things that man makes me do.’ She hated to be that rash, but he more than asked for it. ‘All right. Enough about him. He’s just an unpleasant memory now. It’s time to think of more positive things. Surely Maestro will help me to forget him this time as well. But first it’s time to change into something more comfortable.’ She went to her bedroom and shut the door. 

Irina set her briefcase down by her desk before taking off her shoes and lining them up neatly next to her closet door. She took off her work clothes and hung them up, then changed into more casual clothing---her favorite pair of black skinny jeans and a new black blouse decorated with drawings of purple roses. She pulled on some thick black push down socks as well as her ankle boots, and then redid her hair. Completing the attire with a pair of black diamond shaped earrings, she took a look at herself in the mirror. ‘Hmm…not bad at all.’ She noticed a small portion of her stomach was showing and frowned slightly. ‘Funny...I could have sworn this shirt was longer. Oh well...I have a feeling Maestro will probably like it…don’t want him to be too excited though.’ She had thoughts about forgoing makeup altogether this time since she would just be hanging around Maestro’s house, but her face felt a bit naked without it. ‘Maybe a tiny bit won’t hurt. I won’t be overdressed or anything.’ She reached for the tube of plum colored lipstick and carefully applied it to her thin rosy lips, making sure it wasn’t smeared. ‘There. All ready.’ 

Knowing it was usually chilly outside this time of evening, Irina grabbed her long jacket and threw it over her shoulders like a cape, then got her purse. She closed her eyes, concentrated her energies, and teleported outside the gates of Normalville. Lucky for her, the gates were open that day, which she took to mean that Maestro was anticipating her arrival. Smiling slightly, she entered through the gates and walked towards the large mansion, her heart racing with exhilaration as she did so. Her legs were starting to feel like jello while walking onto the doorstep. Her hands trembling, she reached out and rang the doorbell. She was sure the tone sounded very shaky. ‘Ugh…why am I so nervous? I hope he doesn’t think I have issues.’ All of a sudden she felt the blow of a cold breeze, making her shiver a bit. She slipped on her jacket and sat on the doorstep to wait.


	3. Chapter 3

Irina had been sitting on the doorstep for several minutes when she felt the chilling feeling in the air increase. She shivered slightly and completely slipped her coat on. _‘Ah, that’s more like it. I don’t want to get sick or even worse, freeze to death.’_ The wind picked up and blew heavily, nipping at her ears. _‘I knew I should have brought my hat. ‘_ She rubbed her hands together to stay warm, frowning when she noticed how long Maestro was taking to come to the door. _‘If he had been anticipating my arrival, he should have answered it by now. I wonder if he forgot…or perhaps he’s not available.’_ She knew the last possibility was highly unlikely, though, since he struck her as someone who rarely left his home, if at all. _‘Hmm…maybe I should try again, just in case he didn’t hear the first time. ‘_ She stood up and stretched her legs which had begun to fall asleep whilst she was sitting. Just as she was reaching out a hand to ring the doorbell once again, she heard footsteps walking towards the door and spotted a familiar figure peeking through the curtains. She pulled her hand back and let out a sigh of relief.

It turned out Irina retracted her hand in the nick of time, for right after she did, the door opened. There stood Maestro, dressed in his black pants and white frill shirt. The moonlight shined on his face as well as his shoulder length black wavy hair. His lips slowly curled into a smile at the woman before him. “Well, hello, Irina. I am pleased to see you again. ” He wrapped his arms around her in a quick warm embrace and gave her a gentle peck on the cheek.

Irina felt her cheek becoming hot when Maestro’s warm lips touched it. His arms around her made her heart pound rapidly and produced a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. _‘Gosh_ , _I could just melt into a puddle right now. Not to mention my heart feels as if it’s going to stop beating any minute. What if I forget how to speak proper English or something?’_ In turn, she squeezed him gently and planted a kiss on both of his cheeks, making him turn red in the face. “Hello, Maestro. I’m happy to see you, too. ” She let out an awkward giggle at how shaky she sounded and avoided his eyes, not wanting to see how unimpressed she made him by displaying her less than elegant side.

Chuckling quietly, Maestro placed a finger under the woman’s chin and tilted her head up so she was looking at him. “Relax. It’s all right. There’s nothing to be nervous about. Come inside. I’m sure you must be feeling a bit cold.” He stepped back so she could enter.

Irina got goosebumps from Maestro’s touch. She had been so busy zoning out and trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach that she barely heard what he said. She was alert enough to hear the last part. When she saw him step aside, that was when she realized he was inviting her inside. _‘If only I could get my legs to cooperate and not give out on me.’_ “I am a bit.” She slowly entered the large mansion, holding onto the wall as she did and wiping her feet. _‘Whew! That wasn’t so bad.’_ She looked around the living room and liked what she saw. It was fancy and had expensive looking items, but nothing overly ostentatious. She inhaled a deep breath and let it out, taking in the scent of her surroundings. _‘Mmmm, I’ve never noticed before now, but Maestro’s house smells magnificent. And it’s very warm and cozy, too.’_ She gave Maestro a sideways glance.

Maestro closed the door with a flick of his hand, and turned to Irina. “You all right?” he asked her. “You seem a bit flustered.”

Looking a little sheepish, Irina managed a weak smile as she looked him in the eye. “I’m fine. I was just thinking about how breathtaking your mansion is, that’s all.”

Maestro blushed a little, but he was smiling. “Well thank you. So can I get you anything? A cup of tea, perhaps? Or something to eat? I still have some of the donuts you gave me. By the way, thank you again. I love them.”

“You’re quite welcome. I’m glad you liked them.” The red head scrunched up her brow in thought. “No tea, thank you, and I’m not hungry right now. I would like a cup of cocoa, though, if that’s all right with you.”

“As you wish. I take it you’re not very fond of tea?”

Irina started to sweat nervously. She studied Maestro’s facial expression and couldn’t tell whether she had offended him or not. “Oh, I love tea actually. It’s just that I had a cup of coffee this morning and I think that’s enough caffeine for one day. “

Maestro knitted his eyebrows together and nodded. “I understand. Well, I will have it ready for you shortly.”

Irina let out a sigh, relieved that she hadn’t said anything wrong. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. In the meantime, have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”

“All right,” agreed Irina. She sat down in a large leather sofa, not wanting to risk spilling anything on the fancier looking one. She stretched her long slim legs out, crossing them at the ankles. Her feet were killing her and she so badly wanted to take her boots off, but she didn’t think the living room was the most appropriate place to do it. She gave a small wince. _‘At this rate I’m going to have poor foot circulation.’_

Maestro smiled and went into the gourmet kitchen to prepare the cocoa.

Irina slumped a little in the couch and leaned back against the pillow. _‘Mmmm, this couch is so comfortable. I hope I don’t fall asleep on it.’_ She let out a sigh as she pondered the day’s events---from the long boring day at work to her less than pleasant encounter with her possessive, abusive ex-boyfriend. _‘Speaking of which, I wonder if Eric is still lying unconscious in my front yard. I had made sure my magic wouldn’t do too much damage._ ’ She shook her head to rid her mind of thoughts of Eric, mentally telling herself to forget him. No way was she going to let his foolishness spoil her good mood. She was starting to feel a bit drowsy whilst she was slouching, so she pulled herself into a more upright position. It wasn’t long before the kettle whistled and the smell of cocoa reached her nostrils, tickling them as she sniffed. _‘Mmmm. It smells heavenly.’_

Several minutes later, Maestro emerged from the kitchen, holding a cup of cocoa and a coaster, as well as some napkins. He handed the cup of cocoa and the napkins to Irina before setting the coaster down on the coffee table. “Here you go.”

Irina smiled. “Thank you.” The smell of the cocoa was so arousing she had the urge to drink it right then. However, she looked down and saw that steam was rising from the drink, so she knew it would be wise to wait.

“You’re welcome. Take care not to burn your tongue.”

Irina shuddered at the thought. “Of course not.” It was one thing she was happy to say very rarely happened. She pinched the tip of her nose. “You don’t need to remind me twice,” she playfully retorted, setting the cup of cocoa on the coaster.

Maestro chuckled lightly. “Quite the sassy one…but I like it.”

“Oh?” Irina raised an eyebrow. “So you do, huh?” she asked, winking and smirking.

The mysterious Maestro flashed her a charming smile. “Indeed I do.” He sat next to her. He had the sudden urge to hold her hand, but he didn’t want to freak her out. _‘Come on, Michael, control yourself. You don’t want to scare her away.’_ He lightly licked his lips. “So how about you tell me about yourself while you’re waiting for your hot chocolate to cool?”

Irina began to feel butterflies fluttering in her stomach once again. She scooted a bit closer to Maestro so their thighs were slightly touching and cutely scrunched up her nose. “All right. What do you most want to know about me?”

“Well I would like to know everything about you in due time, but for now, just tell me what you feel comfortable about revealing.”

“Okay.” Irina collected her thoughts whilst placing a long wisp of hair that was hanging down in the back, into her hairclip. She wasn’t ready to tell him she was part sorceress. Not yet. _‘Oh dear. He’s going to be bored to tears by the other things about me…but since he has asked….’_ “I’m a legal secretary, I love to draw, paint, read, listen to music, and take long walks on the beach. I also love watching movies, particularly horror and animated ones.”

“Ah. It seems we have several things in common. I also love music, reading and painting. And I love children. If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from originally? “

“Of course I don’t mind. I am originally from Belarus. I have been living here for the past fourteen years, since I was nineteen years of age. It is very different, but I like living here.”

Maestro gave an awed look. “Wow. “ He now realized Belarusian was her native language and not one she learned to speak. Her soft accent explained it as well, which he happened to enjoy listening to. _‘I wouldn’t be surprised if she is fluent in other languages, too.’_ “Belarus, huh?”

“Yes,” Irina answered before nervously looking down at her lap, then up at Maestro. So far he had not scoffed at anything she said, but her insecure side wondered if she were on the verge of scaring him off. “There’s not too much more to know about me. I’m not very interesting, I’m afraid.”

Maestro looked at her as if she had grown an extra head or something. “Nonsense! I have never crossed paths with anyone as interesting or as intriguing as you are. Not to mention beautiful.”

She widened her eyes. “Me? Beautiful and intriguing?” she squeaked out, her crystal blue orbs still full of uncertainty. “You are not just saying that to flatter me, are you?”

Maestro gave Irina an amused look before clicking his tongue. “I flatter no one, my dear,” he replied, gently stroking her hand with his own.

Irina gave him a hint of a smile, and felt her skin tingling at his touch. _‘Is he trying to make me melt through this couch or what?’_ “Well, that’s good to know. And thank you for the kind words. They mean a lot.”

“You’re more than welcome,” said Maestro, smiling. He unconsciously gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Is there anything you would like to know about me?”

Irina gasped softly when Maestro squeezed her hand. _‘Good glory. Is he trying to give me a heart attack or something? His hands are so nice and soft, though.’_ She squeezed his hand back. “Yes, actually there is. “ She thought of how to phrase the question she had for him.

“Go on.”

Irina rubbed her thumbs together slowly. “So, you live here alone, correct?”

Maestro shook his head, his curls swishing. “I am not necessarily alone. I have my family, and my servant Arisa, both of whom you will have an opportunity to meet in due time.”

The red head felt shivers going down her spine at the mention of his family. She was tempted to ask who they were, but decided not to. _‘I have a gut feeling they give off that spooky vibe he had at first. I would love to meet this Arisa person, though.’_ “All right. I look forward to it.” She hoped she didn’t come across as sounding less than thrilled.

“Trust me when I say it will be worth the wait.”

“Hmm. If you say so.” Irina was very wary, but at the same time willing to keep an open mind. She was not one for passing judgment on people without getting to know them first. “Thank you again for opening your home to me, although you usually don’t care for visitors.”

“The pleasure is mine.” Maestro looked thoughtful as he proceeded to explain, “I enjoy visits from the children so I won’t say I completely dislike visitors. In fact, I welcome them because I am so lonely. It’s just that most of the adults in this town treat me with disrespect, especially the mayor. They view me with contempt. They constantly refer to me as a freak and a monster.”

“How absolutely atrocious.” Irina could see in Maestro’s eyes that he was hurt by all the insults although his tone was nonchalant. She began to think of what she would say and do to the adults of Normalville if she crossed paths with them and they were mistreating him. _‘They’re lucky they’re not in my presence right now.’_ “I want you to know I can relate to feeling like an oddball and being ridiculed by judgmental people. “

Maestro cocked an eyebrow. He found it interesting that she had endured the same things he was presently going through, and also sad. “Oh?”

Irina nodded. “Throughout my youth I was mocked and bullied because of my appearance and wardrobe. My classmates called me names like Casper because my skin is porcelain white, Witchy Woman because I wore gothic clothing and carrot top because the color of my hair was so orangey. “

“That’s not nice,” commented Maestro.

Irina chuckled bitterly. “No it’s not. However, I was able to deal with the name calling for the most part. I merely laughed at how infantile they were. But over time, it got much worse than that. There were times they threatened me, saying if I didn’t change the way I dressed, they would call government officials to have me burned at the stake. Also they played all kinds of nasty pranks on me, like they would put frogs in my locker, pull my chair from under me when I went to sit down and pour crazy glue all over my shoes.“ She cringed slightly at the memory.

Maestro briefly covered his mouth in shock. “What?! That’s terrible.”

“It kept up like that until one day I couldn’t handle it anymore and in my anger I did something I regretted later. Let’s just say I gave them a reason to think I’m a witch. “

Maestro gave the red head a sympathetic look, although he himself suspected she was not a mere mortal. _‘I feel a strong aura emanating from her.’_ He had thoughts of asking her about it, but decided to let her tell him when she was ready. “Wow. That must have been a really difficult time for you.” _‘I must say, my misfortune is nothing compared to her trauma. I would hate to be in her shoes, although I have ways to cope with it.’_ He got a mysterious look in his eyes.

“Not particularly. I had been accepted at a universe here in the United States, so I was glad to leave Belarus after completing high school. Everything began to fall into place, but by then, the damage was already done and it led me to become a total loner. My co-worker Carol was the first friend I made.”

“I see.” As pained as Maestro was by Irina’s past, he was glad to have crossed paths with someone who understood what it was like to be an outcast. Now he knew why he clicked with her so quickly. “Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about your past, although it must have been difficult for you to speak of.”

Irina gave Maestro a reassuring smile in spite of it all. “No no, it’s fine. I just want you to know I feel your pain, and you know what? I think it was fate that we met, so we could be there for each other.” She gazed up at him with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Maestro smiled softly at her and gently stroked her face. “I agree. And I would like that.” He stared into her eyes and she in his. She felt like she could look in them forever. _‘Those gorgeous brown eyes of his…if I were entirely human I would be hypnotized.’_

Irina broke the stare and looked away, her eyes landing on the coffee table. That was when she remembered she had set the cocoa down to cool. “Whoops! I almost forgot about the cocoa. “

Maestro giggled a little. He just loved Irina’s happy-go-lucky attitude. “Yes, you may want to check to see if it has cooled down enough. You don’t want it to get _too_ cold.”

Irina tried not to swoon too much over his giggle, but it was proving to be difficult as she was melting inside. _‘It’s so adorable.’_ “No, definitely not. It can’t very well warm me up then.” She picked up the cup, hoping the conversation had not been too lengthy. She brought it to her mouth and took a sip. To her relief, it was just right. She let the warm liquid slide down her throat. “Mmmm, this is very good.”

Maestro smiled, pleasantly surprised. He was afraid he had lost his touch after relying on his chef for so long. “Thank you. I’m glad it has met your approval.”

Irina smiled back. “It most certainly has.” She took another sip, and then drank the rest of it. She rested the cup down again. She noticed she got her plumb colored lipstick all over the rim. She shrugged her shoulders. _‘Oh well. Bound to happen.’_ “Well, I’m finished now. Do I have anything on my lips?”

“Hmmm…” Maestro suddenly forgot himself and smirked slightly, having dirty fantasies of what methods he would like to use to remove particles of food from the red head’s face if they got into an intimate relationship. _‘Stop it! This is no time to be having such dirty thoughts!’_ After he silenced the voice in his head, he gave her face a quick glance over. He noticed a small spot on the edge of her lips as well as the fact that most of her lipstick had come off. “There is a bit of cocoa on the left corner of your lip.”

Irina gave him a grateful smile. The last thing she wanted was for something to be out of place on her and he ended up staring because he couldn’t figure out how to tell her. “Thank you. “ She took a napkin and wiped off the corners of her mouth, as well as the remainder of the lipstick. She picked up the empty tea cup.

“Here, I’ll take that,” offered Maestro. He took the cup away from her and started to walk towards the kitchen.

Irina reached out a hand to him, as if to say stop. “W-Wait. I can wash it. I just need an apron so I won’t get bleach on my clothes.”

Maestro gave her a look that said to relax. “No need to. You are a guest here. My maid will take care of it.” He disappeared into the kitchen.

Irina watched him go. Although she was grateful, a small part of her still didn’t feel right about leaving work for the maid to do. _‘Maybe it’s because I never had anyone wait on me like this before.’_ She sighed, peeking at the time on her watch. It read a quarter after seven. _‘Oh. Still early.’_ She smiled a little when he returned from the kitchen a few seconds later. “So what shall we do now, Maestro?”

He furrowed his brow in thought. “Would you like for me to take you on a tour of the mansion?”

Irina smiled brightly. She had been hoping he would ask that. “Yes. That would be lovely.”

Maestro smiled back. “All right, then. Let’s go. “ He offered a hand for her to take. She smiled and took his outstretched hand, sighing softly. He led her away from the living room, and through the halls of the massive mansion. He showed her the restroom, the basement, the art room, and all of the guestrooms. He would let her stay in one of the spare bedrooms if there came a time when he wanted her to stay overnight. _‘I would really like to ask her to stay tonight, but I don’t want her to think my motives are less than pure.’_ He let out a sigh.

Irina was admiring the final downstairs guestroom. All of them were very luxurious and about the size of a walk-in closet. _‘Fit for a princess._ ’ She had been mesmerized by the art room, too, and loved seeing all of his work- in- progress paintings. She was about to tell him how beautiful she found everything to be thus far when she heard him sigh. His entire demeanor had changed. She sensed he was worried about something. “Maestro? What’s wrong?”

He turned around to look at her. A look of concern was etched onto her face, tempting him to speak his mind, but he wasn’t sure how she would react. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing.” He plastered a smile onto his face to reassure her.

“Okay…” Irina couldn’t put her finger on it, but she was sure Maestro had something on his mind that he was afraid to share with her. _‘I wish he would just tell me. I might be able to help. ‘_ She decided to just drop the subject for now. _‘I will ask him about it before I leave.’_

Maestro fell silent and led Irina out of the guestroom without so much of another word. He next took her to his library, snapping his fingers to brighten it up a bit.

Irina gazed around the library and let out a soft gasp. There were thousands upon thousands of books —more than she would ever be able to read in her lifetime even if God forbid she became fully immortal. “Wow, this is magnificent!” she exclaimed softly. She wondered how many books Maestro had read.

Maestro turned to face her with a genuine smile on his face. “What do you think? You like it?”

“Are you kidding me? I _love_ it! I am sure there are enough books to take my mind away for hours.”

Maestro let out a soft chuckle. “You’re so cute.” Ordinarily he had the library all to himself and liked it that way, but he was beginning to think it would be nice to have someone to share it with. _‘She does share the same love for reading as I do.’_ “In that case, during your visits, you are welcome to come and read whenever you’d like, or you can accompany me when I’m reading in here. “

Irina was still blushing from when he called her cute. Her lip curled up slightly at his invitation. _‘I was hoping he would say that!’_ “Thank you. I would like that very much.”

Maestro smiled. “I knew you would. Now let’s continue, shall we? There is still much more I have to show you.”

“I look forward to it. Everything I have seen thus far is mind-blowing. You have wonderful taste.”

Maestro started to blush furiously. “Awww shucks.” He let go of Irina’s hand and covered his face.

She giggled to herself. She thought of conjuring her fan and smacking him with it, but she didn’t want to raise any more suspicions than she probably already had. “Now now, none of that. We have some exploring to do, remember?”

Maestro uncovered his face. “Of course. Sorry.” He took Irina’s hand again, pulling her out of the library. They walked past the ballroom. “Obviously I don’t need to show you the ballroom. You are already familiar with it.”

Irina gently squeezed his hand. “True. So then, where are you taking me?”

Maestro gave her a mysterious smile and simply told her, “You will soon find out.” He continued to walk with her.

It was all Irina could do not to roll her eyes. _‘I swear, Maestro is something else.’_ Soon, he was pulling her into a music room, turning on the lights. In the midst of it were a grand piano, an organ, and some sheet music on top of both instruments. “Whoa. You mean to tell me you are a musician?”

Maestro gave her a lopsided grin. “Indeed I am. When I’m not scaring off trespassers, painting or reading, I’m working on music and dancing.”

Irina nodded. “Oh ok. How wonderful.” Then she let out an” _Oh!”_ when a realization hit her as to why he was called Maestro. _‘Silly me!’_ “So is that why you’re called Maestro? Because of your musical talent?”

Maestro smiled at her perceptiveness. “How right you are, milady. “ He hesitated as if he were debating whether he should say whatever it was he wanted to. “Would you like for me to play something?”

“Yes, please, if it is no problem.” Irina didn’t want to put him on the spot if playing music in front of people made him feel nervous or self-conscious.

Maestro furrowed his eyebrows and laughed a bit. “Of course it’s no problem. Don’t be silly.” He went over to the keyboard and sat down in front of it. He peered over his shoulder at the red head. “Any requests?”

“Hmm.” Irina tapped her chin. There were quite a few songs that came to mind, but there was one in particular she struggled to teach herself, and it was her favorite. “Beethoven’s Fur Elise, please.”

Maestro’s eyebrows quirked a bit and he smiled. “Good choice. “ He turned back around and flipped through a few of the papers until he found the sheet music for the song. He set it in front of him. That done, he began to play the composition, very softly and slowly at first. As he got into the melody, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

Irina listened intently as Maestro played the song. She felt her legs tingling as well as shivers going down her spine during parts where the volume increased. She couldn’t help but admire the way he worked his fingers on the keys, and how passionate he looked with his eyes squeezed shut. _‘Oh my, he plays with such precision, one would think he is Beethoven himself.’_ She got a dreamy expression on her face as she pondered what it would be like to waltz around the ballroom with him to this particular song. _‘Just the thought of it makes my knees weak.’_ She pinched herself before she could become too deep in the dream state. _‘Goodness, what’s wrong with me? Why am I so dreamy over him already?’_

It was a good thing Irina came back to reality when she did because Maestro was in the process of wrapping up the song. She watched as he slid his fingers across several keys for the end note diminuendo. Once he was done, she gave him a round of applause. “That was splendid. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Blushing profusely, Maestro got up from the seat. “Thank you very much, I think.” He gave a slight bow.

Irina shook her head and chuckled at his modesty. “Come on now, you can do better than that. Your playing is a masterpiece and no, I am not just saying that. You have captured all of the potential emotions of the song very well. “

Maestro wasn’t entirely used to compliments, but he could tell from Irina’s tone and the look in her eyes that she meant it. “Well, I sincerely appreciate the praise. So I take it you are partial to the song?”

Irina nodded. “Quite partial. While I can play a bit of piano by ear, playing this song is a real humdinger for me. “ She gave a bitter laugh. “And it wouldn’t do any good to give me the sheet music for it, because I cannot read music.”

“Hmm.” Maestro looked thoughtful. “Perhaps I can teach you one day.”

Irina’s eyes brightened a bit. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Now I shall give you the upstairs tour. Wrap your arms around my waist and make sure your grip is tight.”

“All right…” Irina wasn’t totally sure, but she had a rough idea of why Maestro gave such instructions. Even so, she snaked her arms around his waist, holding him tightly. _‘Is it possible that he intends to teleport upstairs? I guess I’m about to find out.’_ She felt him wrap his arms around her waist, too. One thing she had not noticed until now was that the difference in height between them was relatively insignificant, especially in comparison with her ex. It was noticeable but not enough to make her 5’6 stature seem dwarfish or petite. “Okay, Maestro. I’m ready now.”

The warmth he felt from Irina’s arms around him was identical to when he sat by the fireplace. _‘Come now, Maestro, no time to be distracted.’_ “Hang onto your hat. You’re in for a long ride.” Concentrating his energies, he transported himself and Irina upstairs. Once there, the two of them parted from each other, Irina panting a bit. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, tucked it behind her ear and gave her a look of concern. “How are you feeling? Do you need a moment to recover?”

“I am a bit dizzy, but other than that, I’m fine. We can keep going.”

Maestro opened his mouth to express his doubts. He didn’t want Irina to lose her balance. He decided not to say anything, for he came up with an idea. “Do you need me to carry you until your dizziness fades?”

“Um...” Irina had mixed feelings about his offer. As much as she was tempted to say yes since she loved being in his arms, she didn’t want him to strain himself. On the other hand, she didn’t feel like standing around waiting for the vertigo to pass, plus she knew he was being kind. “You can try. I must warn you, though, I am not exactly as light as a feather. I don’t want you hurting yourself on my account.”

Maestro smiled at her concern for him. “It’s all right. I am sure you’re not that heavy.” With very little trouble, he swept her into his arms bridal style. “See? You’re fine. You’re not heavy at all.” He proceeded to carry her away.

Irina wasn’t sure what to say to that. True, her 115 pound frame would be considered very light by most standards, but she was still unsure. “Well, if you say so.” She slowly wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and laid her head on his chest. She listened to the sound of his beating heart. _‘Mmmm, he’s so nice and warm.’_ She also had to fight the urge to play with his hair.

Maestro looked flustered as his heart began to race. Her touch was having more of an effect on him than he cared to admit. “How do you feel now? Are you still dizzy?” he asked the red head, trying to rid his mind of the frivolous thoughts.

“No, I feel fine. You can put me down now.” She didn’t sense that he had strained himself, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

“All right.” Maestro gently set Irina down.

“Thank you for the lift, though.” She smiled up at him.

Maestro smiled warmly. “You’re welcome. Come on. “ He took Irina’s hand again and led her over to the next row of guestrooms.

Irina perused each guestroom she was led into. They wowed her just as much as the ones downstairs. _‘I wish I had brought my camera with me. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that before. I have to remember for sure next time.’_ She intended to show the pictures to Carol on the day she worked up the nerve to tell her about Maestro, opting to just hold on to them until then. _‘Telling her about Maestro and his home won’t happen anytime soon, I’m sure.’_

Maestro finally led Irina into a bedroom that was so large it looked like two walk-in closets combined. It looked very elegant, with the figurines and the bedspread. There were several landscape paintings and posters of Disney characters hanging on the wall. The room was also a bit messy, with a chair next to the bed covered with clothing and the comforter looking a little mussed.

Irina presumed this was Maestro’s bedroom. She found it unusual he was showing it to her this soon, but she was secretly grateful as she was curious to know what his bedroom looked like. Her jaw dropped open at its size. _‘Wow, this room is so large. I hope I don’t get lost in it or something.’_ She raised an eyebrow slightly when she saw the clothes covering the chair. She didn’t expect that he would be on the messy side at all, considering how clean the living room was. The Disney posters surprised her as well. _‘There is much more to him than I have realized.’_

“This is my bedroom,” Maestro informed her. “I apologize for the mess. I never let anyone but my maid and servants up here but somehow I felt compelled to make an exception for you. “

“I figured as much. And it’s fine. I have seen worse before. Besides, my room can be just as messy at times.” Truth be told, Irina was a bit unsettled, but she wasn’t going to let him know that unless he made it a habit.

“I see. Well, I appreciate your understanding.”

“Of course. Like you said, you originally had no intention of showing me until the last minute.”

“Well in any event, I will try to have it in better shape next time.” All of a sudden, Maestro found himself thinking that if he was ever fortunate enough to be in an intimate relationship with Irina, he would want to watch her sleep or wake up with her in his arms on the very rare occasions he slept.

“Okay.” Irina looked at her watch again, and this time it read approximately nine o’clock. _‘It certainly didn’t seem that long.’_ “So are you going to tell me what was on your mind earlier?”

Maestro sighed heavily. “You’re quite the persistent one, I see.”

Irina looked at him with shifty eyes. “I suppose I am. But I cannot help but worry when something is obviously wrong and you won’t tell me. I only want to help.”

Maestro could see that Irina was not going to let up until he did tell her something. He also knew she meant well. He sat on the bed and gestured for her to do the same. She sat next to him. “Look, I speak the truth when I say nothing is wrong. It’s more of a question that was lingering on my mind.”

“Hmm? Go on. I’m listening.” Irina turned sideways on the bed so she was facing him.

“I was wondering if you would like to stay here overnight at some point.” Maestro spoke slowly, as if he were afraid she would say no in a less than gracious manner.

 _‘So that’s why he appeared so pensive._ ’ Irina looked at him as if to say, _‘I can’t believe he got me worried over a simple question like that.’_ “Well if that’s the case, why didn’t you just ask me? I would love to. But…”

The small smile that had crept upon Maestro’s face faded. “But?”

“Are you sure you’re fine with that? I don’t want to impose on you.”

Maestro laughed and playfully tweaked her nose. “Of course I’m fine with it, you silly woman. Do you honestly think I would have extended the invitation if I truly felt that way?” His tone of voice was dripping with amusement.

Irina giggled. “I suppose not.” She stopped laughing when she thought she saw he looked hurt. She didn’t want him to feel that way. “As for your invite, I accept. Just give me a date and I will make sure my schedule is clear.” Her schedule was flexible anyway since she usually didn’t spend time with anyone except for Carol.

“How about next weekend?” suggested Maestro. “It’s going to be Halloween and I will be hosting a party for the children. I could use your help.”

Irina furrowed her brow, thinking about whether she would be free or not. She usually spent Halloween alone, unless Carol asked her to help pass out candy or something, but she hadn’t done that in several years. “That’s perfect. I definitely will.”

Maestro’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Good. I look forward to it.”

Irina smiled. “As do I.” And it wasn’t just because she loved being around children, either. She was also looking forward to some more alone time with him. She finally saw how painful his loneliness was, and she was honored that he chose her to be the one to soothe it.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next week, Irina continued to visit Maestro each evening. That and work enabled her to keep busy so she wouldn’t drive anyone crazy with her excitement about the Halloween party. It wasn’t like she would have revealed much about it to Carol anyway. She just knew her friend would probe information from her about whose party she was going to, and she didn’t plan to mention her bond with the Maestro anytime soon. At least not without his permission.

Even so, it was a relief that the day she had been awaiting had finally arrived. She had been granted permission to leave work two hours before her usual time. She packed up her belongings and tidied her desk with a smile on her face. She imagined she looked quite goofy, but she didn’t care. _‘Oh I’m so grateful to my supervisor for this. I don’t feel particularly guilty because I spoke the truth about why I needed time off. Which reminds me, I had better send a text to Carol before I leave. I wouldn’t want her to accuse me of avoiding her. ‘_ After she was done clearing her work area, she pulled out her cellphone to text Carol. She wrote: _“Hey, love, I just want you to know I will be leaving work early today to help make preparations for a Halloween party I’m hosting with a friend. It’s a shame you had to work overtime this entire week or we could have done something yesterday to make up for it. But take care of yourself and have a safe weekend. Love, Irina.”_ That done, she slipped her phone back into her purse. _‘If she responds, I can always see the message later.’_ She pushed in her chair, grabbed her briefcase and purse, making sure to lock the door behind her whilst exiting the office. She ignored the customers and other employees giving her curious stares as she walked out of the building. She hopped into her car and drove away.

After arriving home, Irina went into her bedroom and put up her briefcase before standing in front of the closet. _‘Hmm...I should wear something that’s rather festive, since it is Halloween after all. Besides, who needs costumes when I am capable of creating whichever look I want? ‘_ She peeked through all of her “holiday” outfits, and after some mulling, decided on a classic long black dress with a hood. _‘Voila!’_ She pulled it out and laid it on the bed before taking off her work clothes and high heels. She changed into the dress and pulled on her ankle boots. She removed the hairclip that had been holding her hair in place and combed it down, letting it cascade down her shoulders. _‘Hmmm, so far so good, but my face feels too bare. Some make-up is definitely in order, and this time I will go all out.’_ She looked in the mirror as she began to apply her make up: first mascara, then eyeliner and closed her eyes slightly to add a pinch of eye shadow. She furrowed her brow as she scrutinized her face. _‘Now for face make up. What shall I use? I would use blush, but it makes my face itch and scratching it in front of Maestro would be mortifying._ ’ Settling for some peach colored face powder, she used the sponge to pat some on her cheeks. To complete her makeup do, she traced along the lining of her lips with lip liner before applying lip balm and ebony-colored lipstick. Deciding not to change her jewelry, she took one last glance over in the mirror. _‘Perfect. It has a dark and spooky feel, but not to the extent where I would frighten small children. If anyone asks, I will simply I have dressed up as a witch.’_

Once she was done getting dressed, she hung up her work clothing, put her high heels in the closet and got an overnight bag to pack her things in. She packed a nightgown, bathrobe, underwear, something to wear for the next day, an extra outfit just in case Maestro wanted her to stay an extra night, and other essentials. She also packed a few DVDs she wanted to watch with him. She double-checked to make sure she had everything and then zipped her bag closed. She took a glance at her watch. _‘Three thirty. Not bad. That’ll give me a chance to have some alone time with Maestro before the children arrive.’_ She carried her overnight bag and purse to the living room with an excited grin on her face, resting them on the couch. She made a quick dash to the bathroom, washed her hands, and went into the kitchen. She brought out the container of cupcakes and placed it on the dining room table. She frowned a bit when she noted the fact that she had to carry the container, purse and overnight bag. _‘Looks like I’m going to have to drive. There’s no way I’ll be able to teleport while carrying all these things. I wish I had some help.’_ Letting out a sigh, she opened the front door, walked outside and opened the trunk of her car. She first ran back inside to get the cupcakes, then her bag and purse. She placed the cupcakes and bag into the trunk, shut it down and went to close the door. She locked its deadbolt and got inside her car, starting the engine. She started to drive to Maestro’s house. The feeling of excitement grew as she passed all the different houses in her neighborhood. Suddenly a small knot formed in her stomach as a worrying thought occurred to her. _‘I usually visit him in the evenings. What if I’m too early or something? Would I have to go back?’_

She halfway closed her eyes and shook her head to erase the thoughts from her mind. _‘Stop being such a worrywart,_ ’ she mentally scolded herself. _‘Of course I am arriving at a reasonable time. I mean if the parents disapprove of him as much as he claims, I highly doubt they would allow the children to remain after nightfall.’_ She told herself to stay focused as she drove the remainder of the way to Maestro’s mansion. _‘Goodness, now that I think about it, I should not have been so lazy that I relied on teleportation alone. ‘_

Soon Irina was approaching the gates of Normalville, which opened automatically. _‘Huh?’_ She wasn’t sure if Maestro was watching out for her or not, but she wasn’t complaining. She slowed down a bit as she drove through the gates. She spotted Maestro’s mansion straight up ahead, making sure there was no one crossing the street before driving up to it. She stopped on the side of the road and parked in front of a brick wall which had branches from a rosebush draping over it. _‘I’m finally here.’_ She let out a sigh of relief that driving to the house didn’t take much longer than when she teleported. _‘Hopefully he isn’t too preoccupied at the moment.’_ Grabbing her purse, she opened the car door, climbed out and popped the hood before shutting the door. She took out her overnight bag, hung it on the same shoulder as her purse, carefully lifted the container of cupcakes, and rested her bag down so she could close the trunk. She picked up her bag again and proceeded to head towards the mansion.

Maestro stood in the living room, peeking outside through the curtains. He was keeping watch for any unwelcome visitors he intended to scare away, such as the mayor. An evil smirk appeared on his features as he thought about how he would make the mayor or any trespasser regret entering his home without permission. _‘And the good thing is that it’s Halloween, so I don’t have to hold back.’_ Of course he liked to frighten people even when there wasn’t a day set aside for it, but he always had to ensure he didn’t go too far then.

He watched as a figure dressed in black approached his mansion. He got a good look at the person’s face and his smirk changed into a genuine smile when he saw that it was not someone coming to cause mischief, but Irina. _‘Ah. So she is here.’_ He was always glad to see her. He tossed his mask and cloak onto the couch as Arisa entered the living room.

“Sir, is there anything you need me to assist you with right now?” she asked.

“Yes. My female companion has arrived.”

Arisa quirked an eyebrow slightly. This was the first time she heard her master mention befriending anyone. But then again, he rarely got extremely personal with her. _‘I have noticed a change in his mood, though. Could she be someone who has captured his heart?’_ A tiny smile crept upon her face at the thought. “What’s her name?”

“It’s Irina.”

“Ah. Beautiful name.” She took a peek through the curtains and saw the unfamiliar looking woman walking towards the mansion. _‘Oh my. I imagine she must be having a difficult time carrying so much at once,’_ she mused, noticing the grimace on the redhead’s face.  As she watched Irina approach the doorstep, she promptly opened the door before plastering a warm smile on her face. “Hello there. I would give you a handshake, but your hands are full. My name is Arisa. Here, I’ll take that.”

Irina gave a weak smile. “It’s all right. And thank you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She panted several times, trying to catch her breath, before handing the container to the younger woman. _‘Man, bringing all that stuff in has been such a workout.’_

“The pleasure is mine. And likewise.” Arisa took the container and went to carry it to the kitchen.

Irina rested her overnight bag next to the sofa and walked over to Maestro. He flashed her a charming smile and wrapped his arms around her before pecking her forehead. “Well hello there, my dear Irina. I am so pleased to see you again.”

She hugged him back and kissed the bridge of his nose, making it tingle a bit and causing him to chuckle lightly. “I am happy to see you as well. You have no idea how much I have been looking forward to this day.”

Maestro pulled away from her slightly, a tiny smirk appearing on his face. “Oh, but I think I do.”

Irina raised an eyebrow, fighting the urge to conjure her fan and swat his arm with it. “Oh really? And how’s that?”

“Well, for one thing, you are here much earlier than your usual time.”

 _‘Darn it, I should have known now would be too early. I should have gotten his phone number. I wonder if he even has a phone.’_ Irina blushed and she looked sheepish while explaining, “I got home from work early today. I wanted to have some time alone with you before the children arrived. Did I come at a bad time?” She tried her hardest not to show her disappointment at the possibility of having to leave and come back later. She lowered her head, avoiding his eyes.

Maestro could sense a shift in her mood and knew he had to do something fast. He placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head back up to make her eyes meet his once again. “Of course not! Don’t be silly!” He lightly tapped the bridge of her nose.

A chuckle threatened to escape Irina as she looked relieved. “All right. I was just making sure. I don’t want to be responsible for interrupting you from anything important.”

Maestro chuckled again. “No no, you’re fine. On the contrary, your timing was perfect. “

Irina cocked an eyebrow. “It is?” She felt like such an idiot for worrying and not realizing he was merely testing her at first. She couldn’t help but discreetly roll her eyes. _‘The tease.’_

“Yes. I was about to make preparations for the party, and I could use your assistance.”

“We-ell…” Irina hesitated for a moment, as if to lead Maestro into thinking she had doubts. _‘After all, two could play at the teasing game.’_ Her face relaxed into a genuine smile as she noted his anxious expression he showed while he patiently awaited her response. She had to bite her lip to keep from bursting into laughter at his facial expression. She cleared her throat before answering, “I would be delighted to. Besides, it is another reason I came so early.”

“Good.” Maestro smiled, reaching up a finger to trace along her jaw. She shivered under his touch, as well as felt a chill going down her spine. He studied her face for a bit. “By the way, you look very beautiful and mysterious today. But that’s no surprise, for you always do.”

Irina’s face turned bright red as she smiled shyly at him. “Why thank you. You look very snazzy yourself.”

He blushed heavily and briefly covered his face with his hands. “Oh, Irina, you’re too kind.”

She wagged her finger at him as if to say, _‘Don’t even think about contradicting me. ‘_ It worked, because he said nothing else. “Just as you say flattery is beneath you, the same goes for me. I speak kind words to you from the bottom of my heart.”

Maestro smiled softly. “I know. What do you say I show you the guestroom you’ll be staying in, and then we can set up for the party afterwards?”

“That sounds nice, actually. I do need to put up my stuff. ” Irina went and retrieved her overnight bag and hung it on her shoulder, wincing a little. _’Oh dear. I hope my rotator cuff can handle this.’_ “Let’s go.”

Maestro offered her his hand to hold, which she did without hesitation. She sighed softly as his large hand enveloped her medium-sized, dainty one. “Now hold it tight and don’t let go. “ He could see how winded she was when she entered the house and didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed.

Irina did as she was told, intertwining her fingers with his. She gave him a nod to let him know she was ready. He transported both of them upstairs, leading her to a guestroom next to his master bedroom. “Here you are,” he said with a small grin. “I hope you like it.”

She did a quick glance around the massive bedroom before gently resting her overnight bag on the bed. “Yes I do, very much. I feel as if I’m in a palace.”

“Good, because you deserve to be treated like royalty,” said Maestro, grinning and winking at her.

Irina blushed lightly, ignoring the swarm of butterflies fluttering inside her stomach. “As do you.” She took a quick glance at her watch to see how she had done on time. It was five minutes till four. “So, the party is still beginning at five o’clock, correct?”

He nodded. “Absolutely right. What time is it now?”

The red head glanced at her watch again. “It’s about four minutes to four.”

Maestro furrowed his eyebrows a bit. “Well it’s about time we get busy. Arisa and I have done some setting up already, but there is still quite a bit of work left to be done.”

“I am sure. Shall we get going, then?”

“Yes. Wrap your arms around me and hold on tight.”

“All right.”  She wrapped her arms around him as instructed in a tight embrace. She closed her eyes and on impulse placed her hand on his chest, resting her head on it. Though taken a little off guard, he showed no indication that he minded. He wrapped his arms around her and teleported back downstairs with her. He figured she felt winded and would need to regain some energy, so he opted to give her a moment to recover.

Irina slowly opened her eyes and exhaled a deep breath. She saw that she and Maestro were now in the living room. _‘Huh? What gives?’_ She realized she was resting her hand and head on his chest. Horrified, she quickly jerked them off. _‘My goodness! I must have scared him half to death! I really ought to control myself before that happens for real.’_ She released her hold on him and glanced up at him. He didn’t seem to be bothered or angry by her previous actions, but that wasn’t enough to reassure her. “I’m so sorry! I had forgotten myself. “

Maestro noted her apprehensive expression. He smiled kindly at her before gently stroking her red tresses. “Relax. It’s all right. There is no need to apologize.”

From his smile Irina could tell he wasn’t angry, but she was still mentally cursing herself for her impulsiveness. “I just don’t want to be responsible for frightening you away or giving you the wrong idea.”

He shook his head before chuckling at her. “No, you’re fine. You could never scare me away. It’s usually the other way around.”

Irina’s eyes brightened a bit and she managed a small smile. “Really?”

“Of course. So don’t worry so much.”

She knew she was being insecure, but she couldn’t help it. She was unsure what signals she was sending to Maestro with her acts of affection.

Maestro could tell from her demeanor that she was still uncertain, so he wrapped his arms around her and just held her close to him, stroking her hair. His strong arms around her was all she needed for her doubts and fears to disappear. He never failed to make her melt or feel different sensations with his words, touch or the way he looked at her. She slowly wrapped her arms around him, holding him as well. He pulled from her a bit, just to give her some space. “Now do you believe me?”

Irina smiled softly at him. “Yes.”

Maestro gave her a smile of his own while placing a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Good. There is not much time left, so we should get going right about now. Do you feel all right?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“Let’s go, then.” He held out his hand and she took it, allowing him to lead her out of the living room, through the corridors.

Irina couldn’t help but shudder just a little whilst walking past a room with a sign taped to the door that read: _WELCOME TO THE DUNGEON OF DOOM. ENTER IF YOU ARE BRAVE ENOUGH,_ in squiggly handwriting _._ She nearly choked when she was led past rooms where the signs on the door read things like: _THE BOTTOMLESS PIT OF DESPAIR_ and _THE DARK ABYSS._ She wasn’t sure what exactly was in those rooms but had the feeling it couldn’t be very pleasant. _‘I imagine those rooms are designated as punishment for unwelcome guests who dare to interrupt the party. I hope no one does.’_ She shivered at the thought of witnessing the Maestro’s wrath. If there was someone who had a worse temper than she did when ticked off, she was sure it would be him.

Maestro sensed she was feeling uneasy. He turned around briefly and gave her a reassuring smile. “No need to be alarmed. There’s nothing in those rooms that can cause permanent damage to anyone. The signs are just to give guests a scary, yet thrilling experience. ”

She let out a soft sigh of relief. “All right. I will take your word for it.”

Those words made him smile, for it showed she trusted him, unlike most adults. “I’m glad. I deal with unwelcome guests accordingly and that’s all. I would never intentionally hurt someone.”

She gently squeezed his hand. “I know. Someday everyone else will realize that, too.” _‘At least I hope so. The truth is, I do not know what will change the minds of the people in this town. They don’t seem to want to give him a chance.’_

His tone of voice became quiet as he answered, “I hope so.” He led the rest of the way in silence, and she was quiet as well. She knew the treatment he typically endured from adults was a sensitive subject for him, and she didn’t want to upset him. They finally came to the ballroom. It was no surprise he had decided to host the party in there, since it was one of his favorite spots. He led her inside. She held in a deep breath, reminded herself that whatever scary stuff the room contained was only in jest, and then exhaled.

There were orange and black streamers hanging from the ceiling, as well as a bunch of balloons in one corner, and a large banner that read _HAPPY HALLOWEEN_ was draped across the wall. Irina’s eyebrows rose a bit when she saw a large black coffin with a hexagram symbol on top leaning against the wall. However, she was not surprised to see mannequins of ghouls, a skull and cross bones, a mummy, skeleton, a life-sized Frankenstein doll and a witch both made out of papier-mâché, and a jack-o-lantern. She also spotted several pictures of fairytale characters that were most children’s favorites. _‘Wow, it appears as if Maestro has outdone himself. I cannot say I’m surprised.’_

Maestro let go of Irina’s hand, although a part of him wanted to hold it longer. “What do you think?” he asked, noting her silence. As he and his henchwoman had been decorating, they were trying to maintain that perfect balance so the scariness would be moderate.

Irina furrowed her brow in thought. “I like it. You and Arisa did a wonderful job. I can tell the both of you have gone all out for this. “

“We most certainly did.” Maestro gave a small grin, proud of the work done. His grin faded and he looked thoughtful, almost worried. “You don’t think it will frighten the children too badly, do you?”

Irina could tell from the look on his face he was awfully concerned. “No, it is perfect.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you think so.” The last thing Maestro wanted was for the parents to get on his case for causing their children to have nightmares or something. It was already hard enough dealing with the backlash for showing them magic tricks.

”I really do. “ Under normal circumstances she would gently chide him for his lack of confidence as he did to her, but this time she understood.

Maestro looked relieved, and then let out a soft sigh. “I love this time of year.”

“I can tell. Well you’re not alone, because I do, too.” Irina smiled to herself, thinking how child-like his excitement was. _‘It’s very endearing, though. Besides, I can be the same way.’_ She looked around the ballroom and saw tables and chairs set up. _‘There doesn’t seem to be all that much left to do.’_ She smoothed out her dress before asking, “So, what do you need my assistance with?”

Maestro smiled slightly. “I’ll show you. This way.” He led her over to a table that had a bowl full of candies along with other goodies, and a bunch of party bags on it. “These are for the goody bags,” he told her, gesturing towards the bowl.

Irina nodded. “I got the impression they were. “

“Would you mind if I asked you to make them? It would be a big help. ”

“It’s not a problem at all. In fact, filling goody bags are one of my specialties.” She took a look at her watch again. It was approximately four fifteen. _‘Wow, it’s almost time. Well, no matter. I should be able to fill these before the children arrive. ‘_   

“Great. I shall leave you to it. I’ll be right back.”

“All right.” Irina sat down, pulling the bowl and party bags toward her. She wasn’t sure where Maestro was going, but she figured he had some last minute business to attend to.

With that, Maestro left the ballroom. Irina got to work filling the party bags, humming to herself while she did so. As she worked, she thought about the children and what costumes they would be dressed in. _‘I look forward to seeing them.’_

* * *

 

Mayor Thomas Sneddon was walking around the town, keeping an eye on the children as they went trick-or-treating. He thought he saw some walking the route to Maestro’s mansion. A scowl appeared on his features. _‘I just know that freak will take advantage of today and traumatize those innocent children with his twisted theatrics. He has gotten away with it long enough. I won’t stand for it any longer.’_ His scowl turned into a sinister grin as he began to formulate a plan to ruin the Maestro once and for all. _‘Enjoy the fun while it lasts, weirdo, because your circus side show is about to end.’_ He let out an evil laugh and then went on his merry way. _‘I should have disposed of him long ago.’_

 

 

 


End file.
